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69

Information Notice No. 93­69: Radiography Events at Operating Power

Reactors

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION &

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

September 2, 1993

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 93‐69: RADIOGRAPHY EVENTS AT OPERATING POWER REACTORS

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

reactors and all radiography licensees.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information

notice to alert licensees to three events involving radiography at operating

nuclear power plants. It is expected that recipients will review the

information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as

appropriate, to avoid similar problems. However, suggestions contained in

this information notice are not NRC requirements; therefore, no specific

action or written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

During three events in late 1992 and early 1993, employees at nuclear reactor

facilities circumvented controls established to ensure the safe conduct of

radiography. In each event, licensee personnel made unauthorized entries into

areas where radiography was either just about to occur or in progress. No

significant exposures resulted from these events; however, such events

indicate a potential for significant exposures.

Zion Event

On December 9, 1992, an operator on routine rounds in the auxiliary building

entered an area that was temporarily roped off and posted with a sign that

read, "High Radiation Area; Radiography In Progress; Exclusion Area; Do Not

Enter." The operator had read and signed a radiation work permit that allowed

entry into high radiation areas normally encountered during operator rounds

and felt that he was authorized to enter the area. However, Zion Station

procedures require the use of a specific radiation work permit to enter areas

in which radiography is taking place. Once inside the area, the operator

encountered the radiographer who had just finished setting up his equipment

and was doing a final boundary check. The radiographer noted he was not

authorized to enter this area and escorted the operator from the radiography

area. Subsequent interviews with the operator indicated that he was unaware
of the significant radiological hazards associated with radiography.

9308260198.

IN 93‐69

September 2, 1993

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Kewaunee Event

On March 27, 1993, a licensee supervisor made an unauthorized entry into an

area in the turbine building that was temporarily roped off and posted with a

sign that read "Radiation Area; Danger ‐ Keep Out; Radiography In Progress;

Contact Health Physicist Prior To Entry." The supervisor was obtaining

temperature data in the area and had not read or signed the appropriate

radiation work permit nor was he wearing proper dosimetry for the restricted

area. After obtaining his data, he was observed leaving the area by Health

Physics personnel who were responsible for watching the boundary while

radiography was in progress. The Health Physics personnel were watching a

different boundary when the licensee supervisor entered the unauthorized

radiography area. Subsequent interviews with the individual indicated that he

did not stop and read the sign. The licensee dose estimate indicated that the

individual received an approximate dose of 0.001 mSv [0.1 mrem].

Dresden Event

About 11:00 p.m. on February 13, 1993, two workers made an unauthorized entry

into a posted radiologically controlled area established for radiography in

the Unit 1 high‐pressure coolant injection building. The two radiographers

and the radiation protection technician involved with the radiography were on

a meal break at the time of the entry. After the break, the radiographers and

the radiation protection technician returned to the radiological controlled

area, without verifying the area was free of personnel. Radiography was

resumed and after 5 minutes of a 6 minute exposure had elapsed, the

radiographers observed the two workers leaving the area. In its review of the

event, the licensee determined that the two workers disregarded the postings

and intentionally entered the area to hold a personal conversation in a room

on the second floor of the building. Both workers were wearing

thermoluminescent dosimeters but had not signed the appropriate radiation work

permit for the radiography area. The route to the second floor led through

the first‐floor room where the radiography source was located, but was some

distance away from the source. The licensee determined that doses of 0.15 mSv

[15 mrem] and 0.30 mSv [30 mrem] were received by the two individuals. The

two individuals received disciplinary action from the licensee.

Discussion

Radiography sources can create radiation fields in which permissible

occupational dose standards can be exceeded in a short period of time.

Although doses were low in the three events described above, each could have

resulted in more serious exposures had the timing been different or had

personnel been closer to the radiography source. Appropriate enforcement

actions have been taken against the licensees as a result of the events. In .

IN 93‐69

September 2, 1993

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an effort to improve control during radiography, licensees have taken the

corrective actions, including some of the following, as a result of their

review of and lessons learned from the events.
(1) Heightened employee awareness of the potential hazards associated with

radiography through the use of station newsletters.

(2) Enhanced general employee training to ensure that licensee employees

receive information describing the radiological hazards associated with

radiography and radiography controls.

(3) Emphasized to licensee employees the importance with regard to safety of

obeying radiological procedures, signs, and warnings.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact

the technical contacts listed below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear

Reactor Regulation project manager.

/s/'d by CJPaperiello /s/'d by BKGrimes

Carl J. Paperiello, Director Brian K. Grimes, Director

Division of Industrial Division of Operating Reactor Support

and Medical Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards

Technical contacts: William G. Snell, RIII

(708) 790‐5513

John B. Carrico, NMSS

(301) 504‐2634

Attachments:

1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

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